Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent from February 3, 2016. Separate ratings of 20 percent are granted for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities involving the sciatic nerve and femoral nerve associated with the lumbar spine disability. The Veteran’s right ankle disability remains rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy are related to his service-connected back disability. However, the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea is causally related to his service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claims for increased rating for lumbosacral spine strain, service connection for pulmonary embolism, and service connection for right lower extremity neuropathy are remanded. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms, while impairing his occupational and social functioning, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic back disability was reopened due to new evidence provided by a military colleague who served with him in Vietnam.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and right maxillary sinusitis due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and low back disability due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to incomplete medical records, and the Veteran is asked to provide necessary release forms for VA to obtain these records.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for nonservice-connected death pension benefits and has remanded the issue of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability began during service and continues to the present, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including TBI residuals, right and left arm disorders, right and left foot disorders, a left sciatic nerve disorder, low back arthritis, and GERD. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of these conditions during or immediately after service, and the current diagnoses did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lower back disability, bilateral hip disability, and bilateral knee disability. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these disabilities to service or any other compensable condition.

The Veteran's low back strain with lumbar osteoarthritis is rated at 20 percent, but the Board has decided to remand for further evaluation and consideration of a higher rating.

The claim for service connection of various conditions, including low back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, hypothalamus disability, and others is granted. However, the rating for a thoracic spine disorder remains remanded, as does the claims for sleep disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine DDD, radiculopathy of the femoral nerve (left and right), and rhabdomyopathy/neuromyopathy of the sciatic nerve (bilateral) have been granted. He is now rated at 20 percent for each condition.

The Veteran's left shoulder osteoarthritis is rated at 20 percent since July 29, 2019. Prior to that date, the condition was rated noncompensable.,Since July 29, 2019, the Veteran’s lumbar spine condition has been rated at 20 percent.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability should be remanded due to incomplete records and the need to obtain SSA records.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability and bilateral knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, low back sprain, and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all of his pending claims, including those related to plantar fasciitis, radiculopathy, headaches, and anxiety disorder. The Board dismissed these claims as a result.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he has maintained employment through the VA Compensated Work Therapy program and does not desire to work.